THE WOOL SALES

Hokitika Guardian, 29 November 1930, Page 6

THE WOOL SALES

A DAY OF DISAPPOiNTMENTS. MISFORTUNE MET WITH SMILE. AUCKLAND; November 25. Fivepence, fivepence farthing, fourpeace halfpenny, fivepence farthing, fivepence three farthings. And so the first- wool s,ale of the New Zealand season started. It was a stunning blow. ‘‘Half last year’s values,” said an elderly farmer. One looked round the faces of the wool-growers in the crowded gallery. Most were those of men who had come to see the worst, but had found a worst t.hey had hardly contemplated. But these men took the blow like stoics. For a time they sat in silence, their faces in the traditional New Zealand manner masking their feelings. Certainly we are not a demonstrative people. ■ Then thefre were occasional whispered remarks and low ejaculations. Laterj some men joked and laughed a little as men will do when the clodus are 1 blackest.

All types were there; the elderly man with marks of lifelong toil upon him; the man who bears signs of business ability and is often prominent as a dealer at sales; the younger man, whose main assets are strength, courage, and hope, his companion, who, it might be is fortunate enough to have the'backing of a robust parental che-que-book; the farmer who probably began life in an English shire in comfortable circumstances; and the man who might have cut his own bush some years ago. ‘ ‘Not since 1921 had there been anything like such a low range of prices. By comparison pre-war prices seemed remarkable without taking into consideration the difference in costs in the intervening period; There had been the peak of 1924 when two shillings was a common price, and after a decline to nbt unpayable levels in the next two ■seasons'another two years of very satisfactory results. Then came the sudden slump of last season to levels Much on a par with the prices of 1913-14. And now there was depression in the air.

The bench of buyers was full, and all the wool-consuming countries were represented, hut good prices are an essential to that thing called “animation.” There was a lot of the usual noise, but who particularly among the farmers is likely to respond to tlie flurry of excitement over a farthing on the sixpenny level ? “I wish value was in proportion to volume of sound,” gravely remarked a man in the gallery. The hell of an' auction mart opposite sounded. “Is it tolling for the cockies or is the hangman out for a buyer or two?” asked a voice. “Don’t know what I think,” said a man with the face of an early Christian martyr. “We ought to go and drink a bowl or two and forget it.” “Well,” said his friend, you’ll have to give about; two pounds of woo] for a glass.”

An old identity of some district arrived and greeted two friends. “How is the wool selling?” he asked. “Itis hot selling; it is being given away,” was the reply. “We used to call it the ‘golden fleece,’ ” said one of the men. “I (call it a bare-faced fleece,” said his opposite number. “Now,” said an economist, “there are about 61b or 81b of wool' in a man’s suit. That means about three bobs’ worth of these prices, but we’ll still have to give the price of about two bales for a suit.” He memtioned a woman farmer who had come to sell her wool and buy a dress. Having heard how prices were likely tp be she had told him that she would not buy the dress. “I told her she was qiiite wrong. She should get a full dress outfit so that she could go broke well "dressed.”

A price of three farthings for crutchings arrested attention. “Now,” said a man, “it costs 6s or 7s a 100 for crutching the pack costs 4s, and the total price is 255. Better burn the stuff.”

The Anchor brand was shown against one lot in the catalogue. “He’ll need his anchor,” remarked a man from the bush.

A bale of bellies and pieces reclassed went for one penny a pound, “and it probably cost him half a penny a pound to have it reclassed” was the comment.

One group waited with great interest to see what the best lot of lialfbred hoggets of an inland clip would bring Last year it brought 19d and the year before 25d. It was sohl for exactly BRI to-day, “and”, said a man who had declared that his wool would not he sold at this stage, “what about the 30s for the dole now?” “Send the Government an old ewe in settlement” suggested his companion. “One old ewe,” he retorted, “they will want about a paddockful of them at this rate.”

- ' eGooer:kars...i£boo£rwkaronj.Kurr An old man walked out nodding his head to himself. It was aii eloquent gesture. Many lots were passed, particularly in one catalogue. “Do you know what that usually means?” said a neighbour. “It means that they have their stock under a bill of sale and are paying 9 per cent, for the money. Their clips are being held.” “I really believe the prices will be better in the near 'future,” said a grower whose clip usually realises higher values at auction, and did so to-day. “My wife is ‘ just back from America, and it is a remarkable thing that all the new frocks she brought with her are made from fine English woollens. I am not interested in fashions ns a rule, hut I am in' this ease, and it is interesting to note that all the frocks follow the new long-length trend. My wife told me that all the women were buying woollen materials, and that must mean something to tlie sheep owners. Anyway, we are not so badly off as the dairy farmers, for we have not, the carry-over of last season’s product that they'have,”